Am I a bad parent for not saving for kids...

**FrugalMomof3** · 07-08-2008, 11:24 PM

I believe that if a child wants something they have to earn it or find ways to pay for it themselves. I have 4 step-daughters and 3 of my own children. My oldest DS is currently in college and paying his own way but he has received grants and also has friends of friends who's parents own large corporations who help him but he still has stuff to pay for which he does.

My oldest step-daughter has finished college and is paying her own through student loans, my other step-daughter is enrolled in a community college and also pays her own way.

While I am very glad they are going to college I dont feel I should have to pay their way, plus what family could afford to put 7 kids through college and not live in the poor house?
I dont think it's fair that parents should work 3 jobs each to pay for their college education but that's just my humble opinion.

On the other hand, will I be here when they need me? YES!
Will I provide a place for them to stay? YES!

My DS comes home from college in the summer and he stays here, my step-daughters all live on their own or with SO so they dont stay here, can I afford to pay for their books? No, I can not. Can I afford to pay for their college? No, I can not.

Will I pay for my youngest DD's college? No I will not, will I help her along the way? YOU BET YA!

**qtkitty** · 07-09-2008, 03:04 AM

If your children go to an in county close to home community college AKA they will get the instate i county discount then they will be able to get loans that will pay for their education, books, cafereria pass, plus gas. ( i had almost 2 K left after paying for classes per symester) I lived at home and drived back and forth the 20 minutes ( when gas was $1.15 and i had a geo metro)

Thats what i did... not that i didn't work and work hard during that time as well .. but the loans were more then enough to pay for my classes so i wasn't stressing about getting my classes paid for .. all just for filling out my fafsa.. no special interest grants or loans.. no parent cosigned loans. JUst make 100% sure that any college your going to after community college will take their credits. That means making sure with the college you will attend later not the comunity college because sometimes they don't always know.

**Mamaof2rugrats** · 07-09-2008, 12:16 PM

I won't be paying for my children's college. I'm sure we'll always qualify for DD/future kiddos to get Pell Grants if they choose to go to college so they will know they have that money to use and if they want to go to a college above and beyond that cost well then they will have to cover it themselves however they could live at home during that time or any other time they needed to.
A community college will be their best bet I'm sure. Where we live a college degree really doesn't make much difference so I would suggest a trade school or the military before I would suggest college to my children but they can make that decision for themselves.